Rudbeckia plant named ‘ET RDB 818’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Rudbeckia plant named ‘ET RDB 818’, characterized by its relatively compact, upright to somewhat outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; dense and bushy growth habit; freely flowering habit; large long-lasting single-type inflorescences with light yellow and bronze orange bi-colored ray florets positioned above the foliar plane on strong peduncles; and good postproduction and garden performance.

Botanical designation: Echinacea purpurea X Rudbeckia hirta.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ET RDB 818’.

CROSS-REFERENCED TO A RELATED APPLICATION & STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY INVENTORS/APPLICANTS

This application claims priority to a European Community Plant Breeders' Rights application filed on Oct. 1, 2021, application number 2021/2433. There have been no offers for sale anywhere in the world prior to the effective filing date of this Application and no accessibility to one of ordinary skill in the art could have been derived from the printed Plant Breeder's Rights documents.

The Inventors/Applicants assert that no publications nor advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventors/Applicants. Inventors/Applicants claim a prior art exception under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filing date.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Rudbeckia plant, botanically known as Echinacea purpurea X Rudbeckia hirta and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘ET RDB 818’.

The new Rudbeckia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Boijl, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact and freely branching interspecific Rudbeckia plants with large long-lasting and attractive inflorescences on strong peduncles.

The new Rudbeckia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventors in Boijl, The Netherlands in August, 2017 of a proprietary selection of Echinacea purpurea identified as code designation EPB 1033, not patented, as the female, or seed parent with a proprietary selection of Rudbeckia hirta identified as code designation 18B, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Rudbeckia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Boijl, The Netherlands in July, 2018.

Asexual reproduction of the new Rudbeckia by in vitro meristem culture in a controlled greenhouse environment in Boijl, The Netherlands since August, 2018 has shown that the unique features of this new Rudbeckia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Rudbeckia have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘ET RDB 818’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘ET RDB 818’ as a new and distinct Rudbeckia plant:

-   -   1. Relatively compact, upright to somewhat outwardly spreading         and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Dense and bushy growth habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Large long-lasting single-type inflorescences with light         yellow and bronze orange bi-colored ray florets positioned above         the foliar plane on strong peduncles.     -   5. Good postproduction and garden performance.

Plants of the new Rudbeckia differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Rudbeckia are shorter than plants of the         female parent selection.     -   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Rudbeckia are larger and         more uniformly mounding than inflorescences of plants of the         female parent selection.

Plants of the new Rudbeckia differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Rudbeckia are more compact than plants of         the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Rudbeckia have smaller leaves than plants         of the male parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Rudbeckia have smaller inflorescences than         plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Rudbeckia can be compared to Rudbeckia hirta X Rudbeckia hybrida ‘ET RDB 18-30’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 32,891. Plants of the new Rudbeckia differ primarily from plants of ‘ET RDB 18-30’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Rudbeckia are narrower than plants of ‘ET         RDB 18-30’.     -   2. Plants of the new Rudbeckia have fewer and smaller         inflorescences per plant than plants of ‘ET RDB 18-30’.     -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Rudbeckia have more         whorls of ray florets than inflorescences of plants of ‘ET RDB         18-30’.     -   4. Plants of the new Rudbeckia and ‘ET RDB 18-30’ differ in ray         floret color as plants of the new Rudbeckia have light yellow         and bronze orange bi-colored ray florets whereas plants of ‘ET         RDB 18-30’ have yellow orange and dark red bi-colored ray         florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Rudbeckia showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Rudbeckia plant.

The photograph on the first sheet (FIG. 1) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘ET RDB 818’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet (FIG. 2) is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘ET RDB 818’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in 2.5-liter containers during the summer in an outdoor nursery in Boijl, The Netherlands and under cultural conditions typical of commercial Rudbeckia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from about 16° C. to about 24° C. and night temperatures ranged from about 8° C. to about 15° C. Plants were one year old when the photographs and the detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Echinacea purpurea X Rudbeckia hirta ‘ET     RDB 818’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Echinacea             purpurea identified as code designation EPB 1033, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Rudbeckia             hirta identified as code designation 18B, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By in vitro meristem culture.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About seven to eight days at             substrate temperatures about 15° C. and ambient temperatures             about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plants, summer.—About four             weeks at substrate temperatures about 15° C. and ambient             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness; fleshy; color,             typically close to 162C, actual color of the roots is             dependent on substrate composition, water quality,             fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and             physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; compact,             upright to somewhat outwardly spreading and mounded plant             habit; dense and bushy appearance; vigorous growth habit and             moderate growth rate.         -   Plant height.—About 50 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 40 cm to 45 cm.         -   Lateral branches (peduncles).—Length: About 18 cm to 30 cm.             Diameter: About 4 mm to 6 mm. Internode length: About 2 cm             to 10 cm. Angle: Upright to somewhat outwardly spreading.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A             sparsely covered with spots, close to 187A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 15 cm.         -   Width.—About 4 cm to 5 cm.         -   Shape.—Oblanceolate to obovate.         -   Apex.—Acute to acuminate.         -   Base.—Attenuate to acute.         -   Margin.—Dentate; undulate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent; rough.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137B.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B. Fully             developed leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A; venation,             close to 145A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 147B; venation, close to 145A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Type and arrangement.—Single-type inflorescence form with             linear to oblanceolate-shaped ray florets and tubular disc             florets; inflorescences borne on terminal and axillary             peduncles above and beyond the foliar plane on strong             peduncles; inflorescences face upright to slightly             outwardly; ray and disc florets arranged acropetally on a             capitulum.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about ten weeks             after planting; long flowering period, plants flower             continuously from mid-July until the end of October in The             Netherlands.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Good postproduction longevity with             inflorescences lasting about eight to ten weeks on the             plant; inflorescences persistent.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit,             typically more than 30 inflorescences per plant.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 1 cm to 2 cm. Diameter:             About 1 cm. Shape: Round to ovoid. Color: Close to 137C.         -   Inflorescences.—Diameter: About 5 cm to 8 cm. Depth             (height): About 1 cm to 3 cm. Diameter of disc: About 1.5 cm             to 2.5 cm. Receptacle height: About 0.5 cm to 2 cm.             Receptacle diameter: About 0.7 cm to 1.5 cm. Receptacle             color: Close to 200A.         -   Ray florets.—Number of ray florets per inflorescence: More             than 20 in about two whorls. Length: About 3 cm to 4 cm.             Width: About 8 mm to 10 mm. Shape: Linear to oblanceolate.             Apex: Emarginate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower surface:             Rough, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper surface:             Distally, close to 12C and proximally, close to N167B. When             opening, lower surface: Close to 12C. Fully opened, upper             surface: Distally, close to 12C and proximally, close to             N167A; venation, similar to lamina colors; color does not             change with subsequent development. Fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 12C; venation, close to 12C; color does             not change with subsequent development.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Numerous disc florets massed at             center of receptacle. Length: About 1 cm to 3 cm. Width:             About 2 mm to 3 mm. Shape: Tubular, elongated. Apex: Obtuse.             Color, when opening and fully opened: Apex: Close to 200A.             Mid-section: Close to 200A. Base: Close to 200A.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 10             to 20 arranged in about two to three whorls. Length: About 1             cm to 2 cm. Width: About 3 mm to 5 mm. Shape: Linear. Apex:             Acute to obtuse. Base: Fused to receptacle. Margin: Entire;             slightly undulate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Rough,             pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 137A. Color, lower             surface: Close to 138A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium (present on ray and disc             florets): Quantity per floret: Numerous. Filament length:             About 2 mm to 5 mm. Filament color: Close to 200A. Anther             shape: Round. Anther length: About 1 mm to 2 mm. Anther             color: Close to 200A. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color:             Close to 13A. Gynoecium (present only on disc florets):             Pistil length: About 2 mm to 3 mm. Stigma shape: Two-parted.             Stigma color: Close to 200A. Style length: About 1 mm to             2 mm. Style color: Close to 200B.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit production has not             been observed on plants of the new Rudbeckia. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Rudbeckia     have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common     to Rudbeckia plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Rudbeckia have been observed     to have good garden performance and to tolerate wind, rain and     temperatures from about −20° C. to about 40° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Rudbeckia plant named ‘ET RDB 818’ as illustrated and described. 